The Drying House in Homestead was used to dry fruits and vegetables.
The people of the Amana Colonies had small gardens adjacent to their
homes, where they could plant what they chose. Each kitchen house had
a kitchen garden space assigned to it. In the drying house, beans and
fruit were placed on racks to be dried by the heat from a small oven
in the room. Cabbage, rhubarb, lettuce, and beans were among the items
that women planted in the gardens. Raspberries, currants, and gooseberries
also grew in

Historic
photograph of women working in a community garden, c.1900Photograph
from "The Amana Colonies," printed by the Amana Society
in 1974

the small gardens on the interiors of residential blocks and the berries
were used in the communal kitchens. Apple, cherry, plum, and peach trees
were commonly found surrounding kitchen houses, other communal dwellings,
and in orchards at the village fringe.

Drying House, 4119 V Street, Homestead. The drying house is located
next to the Homestead Meat Shop but is not open to the public.